Facebook's New Gender Terms, Explained

Last week, Facebook did something amazing. DISCLAIMER: It has absolutely nothing to do with Farmville.

On Feb. 13, 2014, Facebook introduced over 50 new terms for users to select from when identifying their gender. While before users had the choice of "male" or "female," with the option of not answering or keeping their gender private, there is now an expansive "custom" gender section.

If you haven't ever heard of any of these gender terms before, you may be a little confused.

We totally get it, and we are here to help. We sat down with Lauren Lubin, the creator of the soon-to-be-released film WeExist, who identifies as trans*, and asked them to help us break down a few of these terms. Before we start rattling off some of these gender terms, though, we should start by talking about a term you are going to hear a lot when in the land of gender identity. May we introduce *drumroll please*

The gender binary refers to viewing gender as either male or female, without any room in between or outside of those two categories. This is what most of us were taught when we were growing up, about ourselves and those around us. From the moment a person is pregnant, questions center around that binary: "Is it a boy or a girl?"

But when you really think about it, having only two options to define our gender is pretty ridiculous. There are like eight hundred gabillion people on this planet. Sometimes, gender identity might express a transition within the binary itself (male to female, for example), or an identity that is entirely outside those two categories (genderqueer is an example, and is discussed more below). Many (many, many!) people do not identify with the gender that they were assigned at birth, and the terminology below offers more room for individual experience.

By the way, assigned birth gender refers to the stamp put on our birth certificates when we are born. Typically, this gender is assigned based on our body parts. However! Gender is an identity that is not determined by our body parts. It is specific to our experience of ourselves and the world around us, and many of us are assigned to genders that don't match who we truly are.

So, now that we've covered those bases, let's move along to some of the terms.

Transgender: The definition of this term is continually changing and expanding, so it has become somewhat of an umbrella term describing people who experience a disconnect between their assigned birth gender, their body, and/or their personal gender identity. You may identify as transgender if you were assigned "female" at birth, but now identify as male, as genderqueer, as pangender, and/or as a variety of other identities within or outside of the gender binary. Many of the other terms discussed here can fall under the umbrella of transgender.

Trans*: This is an abbreviation of the term transgender, which is asterisked to indicate the vast diversity of gender identities that fall under this term.

Cisgender: People who feel their assigned birth gender matches their personal gender identity consider themselves cisgender (abbreviated as "cis," if you're into that). If you were assigned "female" at birth, and you identify as female, then you are a cisgender female.

If you identify as the gender you were assigned at birth, you can switch your gender to one of the cisgender options now on Facebook. It's a great way to acknowledge the complexity of gender, and also an excellent way to start conversations with other people who are less familiar with the terminology! Tada!

FTM / MTF: People who identify within the gender binary, but identify as (and sometimes transition to) a different gender than they were assigned at birth: such as female to male (FTM) and male to female (MTF). This transition might include taking hormones or having surgery, but that is not always the case. A person who identifies as FTM or MTF may not feel the need to physically alter their body. Transitions are different for each and every person!

Genderqueer: An umbrella term, often synonymous with non-binary, for gender identities outside the gender binary. This term describes a vastly diverse group of people, including those who move between genders (gender fluid), those who identify with two or more genders (bigender and pangender), and those neutral and/or without gender (agender, neutrois, or genderless). Gender nonconforming is another term that can be used by people who may identify, express, and/or present outside of the gender binary (subsequently challenging our social norms).

Androgynous: A term used to describe people who embody both masculine and feminine characteristics, therefore challenging and blurring the rigid lines of the gender binary. Subsequently, androgyny also challenges the ability to peg someone's gender identity on their appearance alone.

Gender questioning: This term represents people who may be exploring their current gender identification, exploring another gender identification, and/or apprehensive to assume a gender label. This may also include an exploration and change in one's gender presentation and behavior.

Transsexual: This is becoming an antiquated term, and many prefer the umbrella term of transgender to transsexual. Its original meaning refers to people who feel their sex and their body parts do not match the sex with which they identify. Like with any other gender identity, the term transsexual does not automatically mean the person will go through a physical transition via hormones and/or surgery. Again: transitions are always specific to each individual regardless of their identity.

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WE THOUGHT SO.

Facebook didn't stop with adding new gender identities. There is now also an additional pronoun option. Users can now choose "him," "her," or "their." Pronouns are important because they are a direct representation of how we identify. Many people in the trans* community change their pronouns to reflect their identity properly. As you might imagine, if you do not identify as male or female, you also may not want others to refer to you as "he" or "she." They/Them/Their are alternate, ungendered pronouns, and are preferred by some people within the trans* community. Other pronouns sometimes used, but not offered on Facebook, are Zie/Zir or Xe/Xyr.

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In the event that your friend has changed their gender identity on Facebook and has not changed their preferred pronoun, you might be like, "Okay, I know what that means but how I am supposed to know what pronoun to use?"

Great news: You can always ask people what their preferred gender pronouns are! If you've seen that someone has changed their gender identity on Facebook, you can simply say, "Hey, can you tell me what your preferred gender pronouns are?" What's more, asking that question to any and all people, regardless of their gender identity (including people who identify as cisgender!), is always better than assuming their gender pronouns based on appearance, name, or otherwise (which, as we've discussed, are never direct links to someone's gender identity). When you ask someone for their preferred gender pronoun, you are showing them a whole boatload of respect. Wheeeee!

These identity terms and pronouns, and the experiences that go along with them, are personal to each person who uses them. The definitions as provided by Lauren are a good framework to begin with, but remember that there will always be different nuances in the way that they are used.

So! Now you know a million more things about gender identity and pronouns! Which means that when someone says, "Hey do you know anything about the new Facebook gender options??" you'll be like:

Kristin Russo lives in New York City and holds a master's degree in gender studies. Dannielle Owens-Reid lives in Los Angeles where she rehearses stand-up comedy in front of her cat. Together they run the website everyoneisgay.com. Do you have questions or topic requests for Kristin and Dannielle? Ask them HERE.